Brew Chem 101: The Basics of Homebrewing Chemistry

Of the several books out there on brewing chemistry, the majority are too technical for the average homebrewer or beer lover to follow, while those dumbed down for the mass audience frequently say too little of note. Lee Johnson, a homebrewer armed with a Ph.D in biological sciences and biochemistry, nails it. He covers the basic chemistry of beer, the biochemistry of beer, what goes on during fermentation and the chemistry of mashing and sparging. He builds on the reader’s understanding of and interest in beer and brewing to present an interesting, easy to follow and nonthreatening introduction to the chemistry of beer and brewing. Janson pulls this together in his two final chapters on understanding and avoiding off flavors and evaluating beer. Chemists and professional brewers probably do not need this book but I highly recommend it for homebrewers without a chemistry background who want a better understanding of their craft.

Absolutely love this book. As someone who's aspiring to be a professional brewer with no collegiate science courses under my belt, this book has been a huge help in my need to understand brewing chemistry, and I'm only half-way through it. I can't wait to finish it so I can read it again. I'm starting an official brewing course in the fall & plan to keep this book close by for reference.

Great book with in depth look at the chemistry involved in brewing beer

I chose this book for brief but to the point explanation of brewing terms and technology. I found it very helpful and would highly recommend it to someone looking for information on brewing chemistry

I ordered this bood used but in good condition. The book is in perfect condition and I am pleased. I have a background in biology and a little chem but I am by no means a rocket surgon, some points of this book are a little complicated for someone without any experiance but it is as simple as this stuff can get. overall very pleased with my purchase.

I was hoping for more information delving into the chemistry of brewing and this book only scratches the surface. It tends to over-simplify many subjects. It's not a bad read, but I wouldn't recommend it to people who want an in depth exploration into the reactions that make beer.

Now I know why my beer is sour sometimes. A great read.

My high school chemistry class was...to be kind... lacking. I walked away from it knowing nothing more about chemistry than I knew going in. It's somewhat ironic, then, that I work for a well-known (in chemistry circles) organization known for its chemical knowledge.. and am a home brewer, which invites some understanding of chemistry and biology. This book helps to fill in many of the blanks in my chemistry knowledge. At times, it goes a bit over my head, but I walked away from reading it understanding more than I expected to about Chemistry. I understand why chemists talk about charges, why molecules connect (and break), and how much of a role chemistry plays in mashing, the boil, fermentation, aroma, flavor, and more. I've even got a better understanding of why certain minerals are added to water and what effect they have on the finished beer. Like I said, it filled in a lot of blanks. I walked into it having seen some of these terms and images, and walked out having at least a basic understanding of what they're all about. Would the book replace a chemistry degree? No, of course not. But if you're a brewer, and you want to have a better understanding of what's happening when you brew (from a chemical standpoint), this is a great book. It's not perfect, though. I found it to go way over my head at times, but by and large I understand what it's talking about and how it could impact my beer... and that's huge for a guy who never really "got" chemistry. I wouldn't recommend this book to a novice brewer unless they were already a chemistry buff, but an intermediate or advanced brewer would appreciate how the science in this book could help them make a good beer great. I'm looking forward to using what I've learned here.

The book is a little dated, which means that most brewers would disagree with some of its recommendations now. Also the chemistry isn't even 101. It is not that the author doesn't know his stuff. I'm sure he does, but he is so keen to avoid anything technical that it turns this unto another generalized book on brewing with some side references to the chemical processes. If the point was to show the fearful or the sceptic that the chemistry is important and can be helpful, then mission accomplished. I already knew that and was hoping for some more specific, concrete information about the processes I am trying to manage,

The Basics of homebrewing chemistryとありますが、かなりの量でベンゼン環（化学式の六角形のやつ）の式がでてきて、全く読む気を失わせます。化学式的には基本なのかもしれませんが、これを理解して自家醸造に応用できる人が海外には結構いるのか、とても疑問です。 比較的、文章は難しくなさそうですが、あの式を見ただけでげっそりです。